Feb. 7, 2008
Agreement Amongst 'Men of Honor' Honored
Paul’s Delegates Supported Huckabee in Second Round
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Edward Burgess, a spokesman for the Ron Paul presidential campaign in West Virginia, told HNN early Thursday morning, Feb. 7, that the West Virginia Paul delegates unanimously approved an agreement with leaders of the West Virginia Huckabee campaign.
Burgess explained that leadership of the Mountain State representatives for both presidential candidate Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee had approached each other in November about strategies if the WV GOP vote went to a second round. Burgess said the agreement came from mutual “men of honor” within the state leadership of the two campaigns.
Rumor had been that should Paul not finish in the top three, his delegates would walk out of the convention. Instead, they met in closed session in the 'Ron Paul Room' at the Charleston Civic Center to consider a proposal from the state Huckabee leadership and a last minute offer from the state leadership of the Mitt Romney campaign.
Although Mr. O’Neil, one of the state Romney leaders, offered five national delegates to Paul in return for their support, Burgess indicated state Paul leaders did not consider it a credible offer.
“The Romney supporters in WV had not been treating our Ron Paul supporters in WV well. We did not feel we could trust [the late offer from those] who did not care to invest anything in a relationship of trust. West Virginians that support Huckabee took the time to develop a relationship of trust, they treated us fairly, they treated us as equals, and they recognized we were genuine Republicans and a force to be reckoned with,” Burgess said.
“West Virginia Romney supporters thought we would leave the convention after the first round,” Burgess said. “We caught them off guard. They underestimated us. They believed their own lies about Dr. Paul and his supporters.”
West Virginia Huckabee and Paul leaders had treated each other with mutual respect since November. Anticipating no candidate would receive 50% on the first ballot, the agreement was to present an offer to the delegates of the candidate who finished in fourth place.
“There were no back-room deals,” Burgess said, adding, “ We pledged to them that we would present the offer [of three convention delegates] to our delegates. We caucused amongst ourselves, discussed the long standing relationship; we discussed the Johnny-come-lately offer, and we decided to go with those who had treated us with respect and taken the time to treat us as equals,” Burgess explained.
It had been agreed by WV leaders in the Huckabee and Paul campaigns. This explained why Mike Huckabee said in a national television interview that he had no knowledge of the agreement. It was exclusively the culmination of a relationship that had developed in West Virginia among honorable state leaders supporting both candidates.
If Huckabee had been eliminated on the first ballot, his delegates would have been presented with a similar offer in which in return for Paul support on the second ballot, Huckabee would receive three delegates.)
Despite a report that the WV Huckabee leadership could not make such an agreement to give three of their 18 delegates to Paul, Burgess stressed, “An agreement is in place and we are confident that three delegates of Ron Paul are going to Minneapolis.”
Burgess declined to comment on how the three Paul delegates to the national convention will be selected.
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Agreement Amongst 'Men of Honor' Honored
Paul’s Delegates Supported Huckabee in Second Round
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Edward Burgess, a spokesman for the Ron Paul presidential campaign in West Virginia, told HNN early Thursday morning, Feb. 7, that the West Virginia Paul delegates unanimously approved an agreement with leaders of the West Virginia Huckabee campaign.
Burgess explained that leadership of the Mountain State representatives for both presidential candidate Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee had approached each other in November about strategies if the WV GOP vote went to a second round. Burgess said the agreement came from mutual “men of honor” within the state leadership of the two campaigns.
Rumor had been that should Paul not finish in the top three, his delegates would walk out of the convention. Instead, they met in closed session in the 'Ron Paul Room' at the Charleston Civic Center to consider a proposal from the state Huckabee leadership and a last minute offer from the state leadership of the Mitt Romney campaign.
Although Mr. O’Neil, one of the state Romney leaders, offered five national delegates to Paul in return for their support, Burgess indicated state Paul leaders did not consider it a credible offer.
“The Romney supporters in WV had not been treating our Ron Paul supporters in WV well. We did not feel we could trust [the late offer from those] who did not care to invest anything in a relationship of trust. West Virginians that support Huckabee took the time to develop a relationship of trust, they treated us fairly, they treated us as equals, and they recognized we were genuine Republicans and a force to be reckoned with,” Burgess said.
“West Virginia Romney supporters thought we would leave the convention after the first round,” Burgess said. “We caught them off guard. They underestimated us. They believed their own lies about Dr. Paul and his supporters.”
West Virginia Huckabee and Paul leaders had treated each other with mutual respect since November. Anticipating no candidate would receive 50% on the first ballot, the agreement was to present an offer to the delegates of the candidate who finished in fourth place.
“There were no back-room deals,” Burgess said, adding, “ We pledged to them that we would present the offer [of three convention delegates] to our delegates. We caucused amongst ourselves, discussed the long standing relationship; we discussed the Johnny-come-lately offer, and we decided to go with those who had treated us with respect and taken the time to treat us as equals,” Burgess explained.
It had been agreed by WV leaders in the Huckabee and Paul campaigns. This explained why Mike Huckabee said in a national television interview that he had no knowledge of the agreement. It was exclusively the culmination of a relationship that had developed in West Virginia among honorable state leaders supporting both candidates.
If Huckabee had been eliminated on the first ballot, his delegates would have been presented with a similar offer in which in return for Paul support on the second ballot, Huckabee would receive three delegates.)
Despite a report that the WV Huckabee leadership could not make such an agreement to give three of their 18 delegates to Paul, Burgess stressed, “An agreement is in place and we are confident that three delegates of Ron Paul are going to Minneapolis.”
Burgess declined to comment on how the three Paul delegates to the national convention will be selected.
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